The year of 2008 was an exciting one for Carthage sports fans.
We had plenty of highlights for Carthage and area teams throughout the year. Here are 10 of the best.
1. Austen Heidlage captures state wrestling title at 189 pounds.
Carthage High School graduating senior Austen Heidlage helped the Tiger football team beat Webb City for the first time in 20 years in November of 2007. Even so, Heidlage still had unfinished business on the wrestling mat.
Heidlage, who headed to Columbia as a district champion, made his third and final state appearance count. The 189-pounder survived round after round before defeating Tim Waltenberger of Windsor by a 4-3 decision during the final round of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena in February.
The senior, who had talked all year long of nothing but a state championship, now had a permanent place in Tiger wrestling history forever. He also became the first state champion under current CHS head coach Kenny Brown.
2. Carthage American Legion baseball team garners state tournament berth.
The Carthage American Legion baseball team ended the regular season four games under .500 before earning the No. 4 seed in the District 15 Tournament at McDonald County High School in Anderson.
What the Merchants were able to accomplish over the next three weeks was nothing short of miraculous.
Behind the steady bat of Crowder College signee Kyle Wicklund, the Merchants held off McDonald County and survived a wild, extra-inning clash against Neosho in the early rounds of the district tourney. The Merchants, backed by sparkling pitching performances from Josh Mason and Joe Allan, brushed back Cassville, twice, to win their first district championship since 2002 in late July.
From there, the Merchants continued to beat opponents with a balanced offensive attack, while Mason, a left-hander, continued his postseason dramatics on the mound. The Merchants took advantage of Kickapoo’s suspect bullpen to win the zone tournament. In early August, the Merchants became the first baseball team — prep or legion — from Carthage to advance to a state tournament in more than 20 years.
3. Webb silences critics by winning eighth state title
Not too many teams can boast about winning four state championships in nine years.
But, then again, not too many teams can say they have a legitimate chance at winning a state championship every season.
In St. Louis, the Webb City Cardinals, backed by the legs of senior quarterback Mack Kyle and stellar defensive play, found a way to hang on against Jefferson City Helias for the MSHSAA Class 4 title in November.
Kyle helped the third-ranked Cardinals overcome three different deficits by rushing for 119 yards and throwing for another 214 to pull out a 41-34 victory over seventh-ranked Helias at the Edward Jones Dome.
4. CHS golf team captures final SWC championship
Graduating senior Trevor Freeman fired a 1-under 71 to capture medalist honors, helping Carthage defend its Southwest Conference crown in April.
Freeman’s 71 and fellow gradating senior Erin Campbell’s 3-over 75 led the way for the Tigers, who beat Neosho by nine strokes.
Bright sunshine and a blue sky engulfed Briarbrook for the duration of the tournament — a welcomed sight for everyone in attendance.
Shortly after 1 p.m., as groups began trickling into the clubhouse, all eyes were on the leaderboard. Neosho remained in contention for much of the afternoon, but Freeman’s 71 gave the Tigers an insurmountable lead. Carthage finished with a four-man total of 318.
5. CHS soccer team captures district championship
Trailing 2-1, the No. 1 seeded Tigers scored two goals in the final 25 minutes to come away with a 3-2 triumph over the second-seeded Joplin Eagles for the Missouri Class 3 District 12 championship at Willard High School in November.
It was Tigers’ first district title since 2004.
Joe Curti and the 22-5 Tigers shattered the team record, among others, for shutouts in a season before falling to Class 3 power Glendale in the sectional playoff.
6. Denise Taylor eclipses 1,000 career points
Denise Taylor made school history in Carthage's 81-22 win over Kansas City Southeast in January.
Taylor eclipsed 1,000 career points in the second quarter during the ninth annual Nevada Tiger Classic at Wynn Gymnasium.
Taylor, a junior at the time, hit the 1,000-point mark on a layup off of the right window with 2:34 left in the first half.
Taylor's game-high 30 points also broke the girls' tournament record of 29, which was previously set by Shanda Harper of Willard High School.
Taylor, now a senior, is currently chasing the school points record held my current Central Missouri standout Meghan Waggoner.
7. CHS sophomore cross country runners advance to state
There wasn’t a team championship up for grabs this year for the Carthage High School men’s cross country team at the MSHSAA state championships in Jefferson City in November.
But that didn’t hinder sophomore qualifiers Joel Williams and Billy Mendell. Williams and Mendell were the only two CHS runners to advance this year.
As expected, Carthage’s move back to Class 4 this season proved to be a challenge.
Running alongside athletes from Class 4 powers SLUH, DeSmet, and Jefferson City, Carthage’s Mendell and Williams finished 72nd and 92nd, respectively, in the individual standings at the end of the race at Oak Hills Golf Course.
8. CHS football Tigers advance to playoffs for third year in a row
Hopes were up for a successful football season with several experienced players returning under head coach Jon Guidie.
Devastation will be the word that most people will think of when recalling Carthage’s very lopsided 68-28 victory on Halloween against Nevada in the district playoffs.
But a truer word would be “three-peat” as the Tigers wrapped up the regular season and a trip to the state playoffs for the third year in a row.
Because of the new playoff format, Carthage advanced to the playoffs with a second place finish in the district with a 2-1 record. After dropping a hard-fought Central Ozark Conference clash against Webb City, the Tigers pounded Carl Junction and Nevada to advance.
The Tigers posted wins over conference rivals Willard, Republic, Ozark and Nixa; they also beat Seneca and Neosho.
Several members of the 8-3 Tigers received all-conference, all-district and all-state honors.
9. 11-year-old All-Stars win state championship
Here it was, an opportunity that only comes every so often.
Big plays and game-changing home runs happen all the time in baseball. But when it comes in the clutch during a championship game, it certainly adds a little more emotion to the drama.
Carthage’s 11-year-old All-Stars had more than its fair share of thrilling moments during the state tourney.
Carthage’s offense exploded for four homers in a 15-6 thumping of Twin City to claim the 11-year-old state title at Sunny Jim Park in July.
Carthage quickly jumped out to 5-0 lead in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by starting pitcher Sawyer Shepherd.
10. Coaching revolving door
Coaching changes are nothing new to sports — even at the prep level. But 2008 saw a plethora of coaching changes around the Press coverage area.
In Carthage, the Carthage R-9 board recommended and announced Mike Godfrey, a Seneca native, as the Tigers new baseball coach in June.
In Webb City, Neosho native David Sherer accepted the school’s offer to lead the boys’ basketball program after long-time coach Eric Johnson announced his retirement. Johnson decided to postpone his retirement by becoming an assistant under new Carl Junction Men’s Head Coach Ryan Odaffer this year at Carl Junction High School.
Odaffer, of course, was Johnson’s assistant at Webb City.
In Jasper, another long-time men’s basketball coach, Kent Anderegg, stepped down from his post. Chad Harris, a Jasper native who coached the Sarcoxie High School women’s team last season, replaced Anderegg.
In Sarcoxie, Steve Butterfield took over the men’s squad this year for Bob Gillespie, who went back into retirement. On the women’s side, Mike Busselman took over for Harris. Busselman is also the school’s track and cross country coach.
Buzz Ball and Rick Rogers also contributed to this story.
To reach Cody Dyer, Sports Editor at The Carthage Press, please call 417-358-2191 or send email to cdyer@carthagepress.com
